It’s time to find the top fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for MLB Week 10 and Fantasy Alarm is ready to help.

The MLB injuries are piling up right now. We’ve lost Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr and while that’s the biggest name on the list, it seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. Zac Gallen landed on the IL with a hamstring injury, Michael Wacha is in a walking boot and Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano is nursing a sore elbow.  Yu Darvish is still being evaluated for his hamstring problem, Lars Nootbaar is out long-term with an oblique, Kerry Carpenter has a stress fracture in his back and Michael Massey is seeing a specialist for his back too.

The hits just keep on coming and fantasy baseball competitors like us need to continue sifting through the waiver wire and bargain bins to find replacement value, if we can. The struggle is real but help is on the way. Or at least it should be.

 

 

As always, be sure to check back with last week’s fantasy baseball waiver wire article. Not every player mentioned gets picked up and sometimes they get overlooked with a new week. Imagine not owning David Fry or stashing James Wood. Yeesh! Now let’s get to the MLB Week 10 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

**Please keep in mind, these FAAB bids are a guideline, not the gospel. You should be keeping track of how everyone in your league is bidding, so you understand that if you really need the player, you should raise your bid accordingly.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Catchers

Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants

Now that he’s through his concussion issues, Bailey has resumed his place as the primary backstop in San Francisco. Since being reinstated from the IL, he’s hit safely in six of the seven games he’s started and has four multi-hit performances to go with his two doubles, one home run and eight RBI. If he’s available and you’re struggling for production at the position, he’s worth the add. FAAB: 6-8%

Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets

Sure, the Mets are a hot mess right now, but Alvarez, five weeks removed from thumb surgery, has begun his rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton, and is expected back with the big club in about a week. He’s working on his timing and building up his strength so expect a bit of a slow start upon his return, but the power will come back and we could all use some power behind the plate. If he’s out there and you can stash him for a week, you should. FAAB: 8-10%

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: First Basemen

Rhys Hoskins, Milwaukee Brewers

Hoskins was just reinstated from the IL and is past his hamstring woes, at least for the time being. He served as the Brewers designated hitter in his first game back Friday and tallied a pair of hits. The batting average will never be a help, but Hoskins has the power to hit us another 20 homers if he locks in. This is a tough position to find help, so if you need it, you have to spend up for up for it. FAAB: 18-20%

Wilmer Flores, San Francisco Giants

With LaMonte Wade hitting the injured list, Flores will see the primary work at first base. He will occasionally be spelled by Trenton Brooks, but Flores is the trusted, seasoned veteran. He’s got four hits over his last five games with two doubles and three runs scored. We aren’t looking at mammoth production by any means, but he’s accruing at-bats which means there is always opportunity to contribute. FAAB: 8-10%

Jose Abreu, Houston Astros

This is one for the uber-desperate as Abreu is in the twilight of his career, but getting one last shot after a demotion to the minors. He isn’t playing full-time as Jon Singleton is still seeing some starts, but he’s still grabbing a few games here and there. If he heats up, he’ll get the starts. FAAB: 2-3% 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Second Basemen

Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates

The 25-year-old has been a bit of a revelation for the Pirates here in the month of May yet he’s still owned in fewer than 12-percent of leagues on ESPN and Yahoo. On the season, he’s slashing .319/.377/.536 with three home runs, 16 RBI and a pair of stolen bases and he’s even hotter right now, hitting safely in nine of his last 10 games with five multi-hit performances, three doubles, one triple, one home run and 10 RBI. He’s still flying well under the radar, so no need to go crazy on the spend. FAAB: 10-12%

Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays

As the Blue Jays heat up as a team, Schneider is very much a contributing factor. The production is never going to be elite, but this team should continue to produce and Schneider, has five hits over his last four games with two doubles, two homers and seven RBI. He also has a run scored now in five-straight games. If you need the middle infield help, he is, more than likely, available in your league. FAAB: 8-10%

Colt Keith, Detroit Tigers

We were very much in on the rookie when the season started as he earned the starting second baseman’s job and also had third base eligibility. He got off to a horrendous start and he was being dropped in almost every league. Well, the work has turned, so to speak, and Keith is now 5-for-17 (.294) over his last five games with one double, one home run and three RBI. Slow and steady wins the race and Keith seems to be making the necessary adjustments a rookie needs to make during his first season. FAAB: 6-8%

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Third Basemen

Matt Vierling, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers are dealing with a few injuries as Kerry Carpenter is on the IL and Mark Canha is day-to-day. They brought up Akil Baddoo to help out, but Vierling is the guy who is not only seeing the bulk of the playing time, but he’s been fantastic with regard to the production. In just this past week (five games), Vierling is 10-for26 (.385) with one double, four home runs and nine RBI. He’s obviously not going to hit at this level the rest of the way, but he should continue to accrue at-bats and provide you with some of the help your team likely needs. FAAB: 12-15%

Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins

Check to see if Lewis is available, because the budding superstar is finally expected back from the quad injury that has sidelined him since Opening Day. The team is excited to have him back and while he may be limited to DH initially, he should be back at the hot corner for Minnesota early this week. He’s a great power/speed combo who is ready to take his game to another level. FAAB: 20-25%

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Shortstops

Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals

If you caught up with this week’s Fantasy Baseball Stock Watch, then Winn should be on your radar already. How he is still unowned in almost 90-percent of leagues on ESPN and Yahoo is beyond belief. I’m not saying this guy is a fantasy baseball league winner, but he’s coming off a 16-game hit streak in which he was slashing .356/.381/.559 with two home runs, eight RBI, six runs scored and two stolen bases. Go back and look at your roster and see what your middle infield is producing. FAAB: 8-10%

David Hamilton, Boston Red Sox 

After sitting behind a struggling Ceddanne Rafaela, Hamilton has begin to see every-day at-bats since May 17 and has provided solid fantasy production given expectations and/or fantasy baseball rest of season projections. Since that date, he’s 15-for-40 (.375) with three doubles, one triple, one home run, four RBI, seven runs scored and five stolen bases over 14 games. He’s flashed some power in the minors and has already shown he’s got speed. Full-time at-bats are tough to come by in some deeper leagues. FAAB: 8-10%

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Outfielders

Nelson Velazquez, Kansas City Royals

While there are quite a few outfielders returning from injury, some of us are still trying to make improvements with what’s out there and with Velazquez being owned in less than five -percent of leagues on ESPN and Yahoo. The batting average is a little rough, but the power is real. He’s hit five home runs with nine RBI over his last nine games and remains a fixture in the middle of the Royals lineup. FAAB: 6-8%

Jesse Winker, Washington Nationals

He’s probably going back to a platoon situation once the Nationals finally call up James Wood, but for now, you cannot ignore the recent boost in stolen bases. Five steals over his last seven games and you’re getting a handful of runs and RBI as well. He knows he’s playing on borrowed time, so expect him to stay aggressive and keep proving himself. FAAB: 6-8%

Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox

Just a little reminder to check your league’s waiver wire and make sure some crazy person didn’t drop Robert either out of frustration or a roster crunch. Word on the street says he could be back as early as Tuesday. FAAB: 50-60%

Nolan Jones, Colorado Rockies

Here’s another one to check to see if he is somehow available. Jones started taking batting practice late in the week, the first time since his first rehab assignment, so it looks like the Rockies are getting him back this week. They might not let him be too aggressive on the bases at first, but he’s got power and plays in Coors. FAAB: 45-50%

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Starting Pitching

Tylor Megill, New York Mets

Whoa. Two Mets in one waiver article? Come on, Bender. What are you thinking? But you cannot argue with the last two starts for Megill. His first start back from a shoulder strain, he allowed just two earned runs over five innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. He allowed just four hits, so he was throwing strikes and had his command, something you really need to see after a shoulder problem. So then when you wanted to see if he could do it again, he throws seven scoreless with nine strikeouts and one walk against the Dodgers. I hate to ask, but need we say more? FAAB: FAAB: 16-18%

Ben Brown, Chicago Cubs

Don’t look now, but Brown is generating quite the buzz in fantasy circles. The Cubs have been using him in middle relief, but he’s made back-to-back starts against the Braves and Brewers, allowing just one hit with 16 strikeouts and four walks over 11 scoreless innings. Jordan Wicks is due to return from the IL, but given this recent stretch, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Cubs ease Wicks back in as the middle-reliever while Brown stays in the rotation. FAAB: 12-15%

Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves

We’ve been chasing that fifth spot in the Braves rotation ever since Spencer Strider had season-ending surgery and it continues here with Schwellenbach. We never got to see A.J. Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder didn’t work out, so it’s only mixed optimism here. His first outing wasn’t terrible – three earned runs over five innings with a 5:1 K:BB – but it was definitely better than what we’ve seen from Ray Kerr, who is also competing. I think they give the kid another start and that would come against Boston, an offense that’s averaged roughly three runs per game with a 24.7-percent strikeout rate over their last 10 games. FAAB: 6-8% 

With so many pitchers coming off the IL in the coming weeks/month, take a moment to check in on the following names in case they were dropped for any reason:

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Closers/Relief Pitchers

Yimi Garcia/Chad Green, Toronto Blue Jays

With news of Jordan Romano landing on the IL, we immediately turn to the 2024 Fantasy Baseball Closer Grid which is carefully monitored by our guy, Joe Gallina. Now, Joe’s got it listed as a fluid situation which I completely agree with. I think it’s Garcia and Green who both get the work. Joe has a lean towards Garcia as the front-runner, but I’m not going to ignore Green who filled in for Romano once before. Both should be in the mix for saves and added if you can. If you can only have one, put the bid on Garcia and set Green as a contingency pick. FAAB: 18-20% each

Reed Garrett, New York Mets

Wow. A third Met. This might be too much, but with Edwin Diaz on the shelf and Adam Ottavino blowing saves and taking losses, Garrett needs an immediate look. He picked up the save one night and then got rocked for two homers the next, so there is obvious risk. But if you’re chasing saves, you have to jump into the fray. FAAB: 10-12%

Jeremiah Estrada, San Diego Padres

This one is more for those in saves + holds leagues and like to rack up the strikeout numbers with your middle relievers. Estrada hasn’t allowed an earned run in any of his last six appearances and has 18 strikeouts in 7.1 innings during that span. Not a typo – 18 strikeouts. Depending on how competitive your league is for relievers, bid accordingly and remember that if anything happens to Robert Suarez, this is your guy. FAAB: League market value